Doorframe for cars and the like



March 6, 1934. o. s. JACKSON DOORFRAME FOR CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 6, 1934. o. s. JACKSON DOORFRAME FOR CARS AND THE LIKE Filed 00C. 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ora S. `lackson, Omaha, Nebr., assignor to Camel Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application October 13, 1930, Serial No. 488,246

3 Claims.

This invention relates to car door structures and is illustrated as embodied in a construction in which a steel frame is assembled from simple pressed steel members and is rigidly connected to the metallic car roof and bottom frame. The door frame is quite similar to that disclosed in application Serial No. 360,233, filed by the same inventor, of which this application is in part a continuation.

One object of the invention is to produce a frame for doors of cars or other vehicles which shall be stronger than similar frames heretofore known and capable of indefinitely resisting the varied stresses to which such frames are subjected. It is readily apparent that due to sudden stopping and starting of the cars and due to shifting and movement of the heavy articles carried therein, the door frames must be made of unusual strength.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door frame of adequate strength which may be built more economically than such frames heretofore known.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a doorway of large size and of a height as nearly that of the car as is practical, which can be built economically.

A further object of the invention is to provide a doorway which fulfills the above objects and in addition strengthens the car as a whole. The invention contemplates the rigid attachment of a metal door frame to a metal rooiing and metal bottom frame. Such a construction forms an all metal girth around the center of the car which results in considerable strengthening of the car as a whole especially if the car sides are mainly wood.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description, drawings and claims.

In the drawings, in which like numerals are used for similar parts throughout- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the assembled frame;

Figure 2, a horizontal sectional view on a much larger scale, taken on the line lI-II of Figure l, looking down upon the bottom member or sill of the door frame7 the mid portion of which is broken away;

Figure 3, a vertical transverse sectional View of the same, also on the larger scale, taken on the line III- lll of Figure l, and looking in the direction indicated. by arrows associated with said numerals;

Figure 4, a perspective View of the members of the door frame partly assembled, but with midlength portions broken away to permit the larger scale showing;

Figure 5, a perspective View of a gusset plate employed to brace and stay the door posts and to tie them to the metal sill and to the top member 50 respectively; and

Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 3, illustrating the door suspended in position.

Although the invention may take many forms, only one has been chosen for illustration in the drawings. The door frame consists of four principal members, to wit, a door sill 1 of inverted L- shape in cross section and of a length somewhat greater than the outside width of the frame; two Vertical posts or members 2, 2, of suitable height and of troughlike or generally U -shaped cross section; and a top member 3 of L shape in cross section or of the same form as the sill member 1 but reversed in position as related to said sill. The posts or uprights 2 have their lower ends seated '15 upon and supported by the sill 1. They are spaced apart to afford the required width of door space or opening, and their lower ends are cut away slightly to permit them to pass over and to rest in part upon lateral anges of gusset plates 4 of the form best shown in Figure 5. As seen in said gure each consists of a flat plate, as 4, which in practice lies in a vertical plane and is cut away at one end as shown, the longer edge of the plate and the wider end thereof being bent or pressed to form a lateral flange, as 5, the longer portion of the flange lying in practice, in a horizontal plane, and the shorter portion thereof in a vertical plane. Similar gusset plates 6 having lateral ilanges 7 are provided for the upper ends of the posts 2, but are reversed as related to the lower plate 4.

The several plates 4 are of the same general form, but the flanges oi" the upper right-hand plate and lower left-hand plate project from the opposite face of plate 4 with respect to the flanges of the upper left-hand and lower right-hand plates. In other words, two of the plates have the flanges turned to the right, at right angles to the main plate, and the other two have them turned to the left, relatively to the main plate. Each gusset plate is punched or drilled to produce holes 8 to receive fastening bolts or rivets 9, which are positioned to register with like holes in the sill, top member, and posts or uprights.

Each of the gusset plates is secured to both sides of the U-shaped posts by the rivets 9. The bottom gusset plates are in addition secured to the sill 1, and the top gusset plates to the top member 3, also by suitable rivets. The preferred attachment of these plates is clearly shown in the drawings.

The horizontal leaf or plate of the metal door sill 1 overlies and rests upon the wood filler 10 of the car, its vertical leaf or plate lying against the vertical outer face of said wood-ller. The wood iiller is carried by the main sill 11 which is of substantially Z-form in cross section, the wood iiller resting upon the lower horizontal flange of said main sill.

An angle iron l2 is riveted to both the lower iiange of the main sill 11 and the outer flange of the door sill 1, thus providing an all metal, rigid connection between the main sill, or car base and the door frame. To further strengthen the connection, bolts may be passed through the two sills 11 and 1 and the wood-ller 10.

The top member` 3 is secured to the car roof 14 in a similar manner by riveting the angle iron 15 to both the roof 14 and the top member 3. This rigidly attaches the door frame to the roof.

It is apparent that this construction provides a rigid all metal girth around the center of the car, since the rigid door frame is rigidly attached both to the roof and the main sill. Such a construction of course has a decided strengthening effect on the car as a whole, especially Where the sides of the car are wooden and would otherwise have a tendency to loosen at the joints.

Further to increase the rigidity of the door frame, each post 2 is formed with a laterally bent or right angle ange or wing 18 (Figure 4), which adds greatly to its resistance to stresses to which the side walls of the car and consequently the door frames, are subjected. These wings or iianges also aiord convenient places for attachment of wooden uprights 19 of the side walls of the car (Figure 2), and combine with the posts 2 and with wooden iller posts 20 placed within the posts 2 to stiiien said posts and to prevent any buckling or serious indentation thereof due to sudden blow or impact, however occasioned. The uprights 19 in turn serve to carry the outer covering or sheathing 21 of the car. Similarly, the wooden llers 2D aiord a place of attachment of the inner lining 22 of the car, which is provided at either side of the door opening with grain-door nailing strips 23. The uprights 19 and llers 20 are tied together by horizontal bolts 24 which pass also through the walls of the U-shaped portions of the posts 2.

Any usual type of door track, upper or lower, door hanger, or door shoe, guards, etc., may be employed. I prefer, however, the construction and arrangement illustrated in Figure 6, including an upper hanger 25 attached to the door and provided with a roller 2S running on the lower member of a channel iron 27 which is provided with a downwardly extending guard 28 overhanging a suitable door iron 29 on the door. The channel iron 27 is secured by bolts 37 passing through said channel iron and also through the top member 3 and wood llers 30 and 3l, if it is desired to use such llers.

The bottom of the door is guided by a bottom iron 32 which extends across the entire door, and has a depending portion running within a bracket 33, bolted to the door sill and main sill.

A suitable floor 35 with a metal wear strip 36 may be provided on top of the door sill 1 as shown in Figure 6.

It is to be understood that many other embodiments of the invention, including some in improved form, will be apparent and in the course of time will be devised by those skilled in the art. My invention includes all of these which come within the spirit of the following claims, construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.

I claim:

1. A built up car door frame comprising a sill of inverted L form; vertical side posts mounted upon and supported by said sill and of substantially U form in cross section; a top member of L form in cross section; and flanged gusset plates connecting the upright posts with the sill and top member, the several parts being formed of pressed steel and connected by bolts or rivets passing through holes in the gusset plates and in the sill, posts, and top member.

2. A built up car door frame comprising a sill of inverted L form; vertical side posts mounted upon and supported by said sill and of substantially U form in cross section, with lateral flanges extending in the direction of the length of the car; and flanged gusset plates connecting the upright posts with the sill and top member, the several parts being formed of pressed steel and connected by bolts or rivets, the upright posts being provided with wooden fillers which serve to stiffen and strengthen the posts and afford nailing or fastening bodies to which to attach the car walls and linings.

3. In a car door frame, an upright post or side member of pressed steel of substantially U form in cross section, and having a lateral flange lying in the plane of the wall of the car; a wooden ller within the U-shaped portion of the post; and a wooden upright secured in the angle formed by the meeting of the U and the flange, said wooden members serving to stiien and strengthen the metal post and protect the same against buckling or indentation, and alford nailing or fastening strips for other parts of the car structure.

ORA S. JACKSON. 

